1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts, specifically improving the protection at the base or toe from energies and forces of sea's, scouring, erosion, undercutting and undermining. These forces result in damage and failures causing many dollars of damage and property loss every year.
2. Background
Waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts have a dynamic problem of relentless attacks by energies and forces of sea waves, wind waves, tidal forces, ship and boat wakes. These energies and forces scour and erode the base or toe, the supporting structures, of waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts. CIRIA Report TN 125 (Seawalls: Survey of Performance and Design Practice (1986)) states that toe erosion is the most common cause of seawall failure. Tides position the waves at the venerable areas and wave overtopping causes hydraulic actions and pressures on waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts. These forces and actions cause damage, collapse and failure of waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts.
Riprap, large rocks, can be used, but they also are eroded, undercut, displaced and sink into the beach.
The toe or base can be extended deeper beneath the beach level to prevent future failure. This increases the cost and requires more expensive construction. However, it is just a matter of time before the toe is eroded, undermined and fails.
Stairs can be used. The form is similar to that used by standard building codes. The standard run and rise with or without nosing also are eroded, undermined and fail.
3. (Amended). Prior Art.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,184,462, Milliken, a vertical bulkhead or sea wall having a series of recesses with curved sides and apices. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comprising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,536, Danz, a vertical interwoven barrier. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comprising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,793, Pulsifer, interconnected vehicular tires forming a vertical step-shaped earth water interface. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comp rising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,521, Martin et al, an ocean diversion wall with inclining surface and curved cup surface. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comprising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,595, creter et al, a triangular prismatic shaped shoreline break water. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comprising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,088, Foehrkolb, a vertical retaining wall using segmented automobile tires. My invention is physically different, it is a structure comprising a plurality of main sections placed parallel to each other along the beach to define a sine wave, each main section comprising a plurality of sections having an axis which extends along and parallel to the beach, each said section having a series of inclined upward ramped steps which form a portion of said sine wave along the axis of the sections, said sections being placed adjacent each other along the beach with said sine wave facing the incoming waves.
Objects and Advantages
Nature's beaches dissipate the energies and forces of seawaves, wind waves, tidal forces, ship and boat wakes with a natural plane, the upward runout of the beaches' contours.
WavBrakerSteps solve the hydrodynamic problem of erosion, undermining, sinkholes, collapse and failure at the base or toe of waterfront bulkheads, seawalls and seacoasts. WavBrakerSteps cause a hydrodynamic flow, working with nature, in a similar manner like nature's beaches. WavBrakerSteps dynamically redirect and dissipate the attacking wave energies and forces. WavBrakerSteps are a series of inclined upward ramped steps in the form of a sine wave curve. The inclined upward ramped steps redirect and dissipate the wave energies and forces. The face of each step is inclined backward from the bottom. The sine wave curve allows for the attacking waves to be redirected and dissipated when approaching from any direction. WavBrakerSteps are formulated and designed to allow the natural buildup of organic and inorganic beach materials. The action by waves flowing upward and then downward over the inclined, curved and ramped WavBrakerSteps prevents undercutting, undermining and sinking from occurring. The natural actions of WavBrakerSteps allow the plants and animals to function in their natural environment. WavBrakerSteps are designed and constructed in a durable precast form using reinforced concrete. Other appropriate building materials may be used. WavBrakerSteps may be interlocking and attached to each other, to the beach, to waterfront bulkheads, to seawalls and to seacoasts. WavBrakerSteps are precast and may be installed at low tide. This type of installation works with nature protecting and preventing contamination to the environment. Critical testing has established the effectiveness of WavBrakerSteps.